Lake of the Woods
FISHING
LAKE OF THE WOODS
Lake of the Woods is known as a world class fishery. Anglers travel thousands of miles to fish these famous waters. There is a wide variety of fish, a good population of fish, and flat out trophy fish within Lake of the Woods. Whether stepping aboard a resort charter boat, in with a private guide, or navigating using your own boat, the 42 navigable miles of the Rainy River, big open waters of Big Traverse Bay, and the thousands of islands up at the NW Angle rarely disappoint.
/
OPEN WATER FISHING
CHARTER & GUIDED FISHING
Many visitors coming to the area appreciate jumping on a resort charter boat or in with a private guide. Everything is provided: the rods and reels, bait, tackle, life jackets, fish cleaning, etc. By request, they provide lunch and beverages as well. A licensed charter captain leads your adventure. He/she knows where they fish are and they work with other guides to make sure you have the best chance for success.
FISHING ON YOUR OWN
Bring your own boat or rent a boat from a local resort. There are many boat ramps along with miles and miles of water both in the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods loaded with fish. GPS units, map chips and mapping apps for your smartphone have the waters well marked for navigation. Open water fishing takes place from the end of March when the Rainy River begins to open into November when the water begins to freeze up. Have your camera ready, this is where memories are made.
Three world class fishing areas
There are three great fishing areas. The first is the Rainy River. From the mouth of the river at Wheeler’s Point, there are 42 miles of navigable river all the way to Birchdale, MN. the second area is the big open waters of Big Traverse Bay. This area is about 30 miles north/south by 25 miles east/west. The deepest point in this big basin is only 38 feet deep and it is loaded with walleyes, saugers and a wide variety of fish. The third area is the NW Angle. The Angle is the northernmost point of the contiguous U.S. and is where the 14,552 islands of the lake begin. This area is loaded with a variety of structure and fish.
ICE FISHING
FULL SERVICE ICE FISHING
Experienced resorts and outfitters do the work so you can ice fish in comfort and relax. Ice guides start working on the ice early in the year, staking roads and trails, plowing, smoothing out trails, and basically maintaining the ice roads daily. Heated fish houses are available and moved often to stay on the fish. Ice anglers have the option of staying at a resort, cabin or hotel on shore at night, or, experiencing sleeping on the ice in a sleeper fish house. Round trip transportation to your fish houses or a plowed ice road to the front door of your fish house is provided. Ice guides will clean your fresh catch and most area resorts will cook up your fresh catch.
FISH ON YOUR OWN
Ice anglers may bring their own fish houses. Whether it’s a pull-behind fish house that anglers can sleep in overnight or collapsible fish houses meant to set up and take down daily, opportunities abound, Anglers can access the lake by plowed ice roads provided at a small daily use fee from resorts or access the snowmobile trails that are groomed and staked across the lake.
ICE ROADS
Some resorts plow ice roads allowing visitors to drive right out to the fish houses. Resorts take great care in checking ice thickness, plowing snow and making sure the roads are well-marked and in good shape.
Some of the
best fishing around
LIMITS & SPECIES
Check out the different species located within Lake of the Woods as well as when each species is in season.
public & private boat access
The Rainy River offers 7 boat landings on the Minnesota border with full access to the Rainy River and beautiful Lake of the Woods. At the mouth of the Rainy River, most resort guests use the Wheeler’s Point public access.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Keep it Clean is an organization which was created by a group of locals including the Tourism Bureau and the MN DNR Soil and Water Conservation members to promote a clean Lake of the Woods and to bring together a variety of stakeholders to do so.
LATEST
TALES
Catch up on the buzz around the lake with our latest blog posts. Stay informed about upcoming events, conservation efforts, and community stories that make Lake of the Woods a vibrant and dynamic destination. Our blog is your go-to source for staying connected with the pulse of this captivating region.
